The Stranger in the Mirror
by AmandaMarieJohnson333
Summary: After waking from a week-long coma, Buffy Summers realizes she doesn't remember who she is, and the people who say they are family are nothing but strangers to her. What happens when they take her home? Will she get her memory back? Will she ever remember her friends, family and the guy she's supposed to marry in just five months? Spuffyness! Rated M to be safe!
1. Chapter One

Her eyes opened slowly. Looking around the strange room, she realized she didn't know where she was or what was going on. As she became more consciously aware, she realized there was something in her mouth and began to panic, pulling at the tube a bit

"Whoa, luv, relax. It's okay" a man with bleached blonde hair told her, coming closer and gently moving her hand away from the tube in her mouth. "Oh, god, baby, you're awake." His eyes were happy, but hers were confused, scared even.

"I'm gonna go get a doctor" an older woman said happily as she hurried out of the room. The girl in the bed turned her attention back to the man, who was still smiling happily at her.

"I thought you'd never wake up, luv. You gave us quite a scare" he told her, kissing her forehead.

 _What the hell is going on here?_ The girl's thoughts were racing, but cluttered. A few moments later, the older woman rushed back into the room with a man wearing a white coat—a doctor, the girl in the bed assumed.

"Well, hey there" the doctor said with a smile. "We were wondering when you'd wake." The girl in the bed still looked confused, touching the tube in her mouth again. "It's just a breathing tube. I'm going to take it out now, okay?" The girl nodded and the doctor smiled calmly at her. "Okay, when I say so, I'm gonna need you to cough, alright?" The girl nodded again and the doctor began removing the tube. "Cough now, Buffy." Looking confused still, the girl did as the doctor instructed and coughed a few times as the doctor removed the breathing tube from her throat. "Good girl."

"Here, luv, drink some water" the man with the bleached hair told her, holding a cup with a straw in front of her. The girl looked at him, still confused, but took a sip from the straw, being that her throat was quite sore.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so happy you're awake!" the older woman exclaimed, now at her bedside stroking her hair.

"What… what happened?" the girl in the bed asked, her voice still horse from the tube that was just removed.

"Buffy, you were in a car accident" the doctor told her. "You hit your head and have been a coma for a week."

"Buffy?" the girl, apparently named Buffy asked with confusion.

"Are you okay, luv?" the man with bleached hair asked worriedly.

"Who… who are you?" Buffy asked, confusion in her eyes. The bleached man, the older woman and the doctor looked at each other with shock and worry.

"W—what do you mean, baby?" the bleached man said, trying to take her hand, but she pulled it away with fear. "It's okay, luv. I'm Spike. I'm your fiancé, don't you remember?"

"No" Buffy said, fear growing in her voice. "I—I don't remember anything… I don't remember who I am." Tears were now forming in the blonde girl's eyes as the bleached man, who she now knew as Spike, looked at the doctor and the older woman, not knowing what was going on.

"Doctor, what's wrong with my daughter?" the older woman asked, her tone laced with fear.

 _Daughter? That must be my mom_ , Buffy thought.

"The head injury must've caused amnesia" the doctor said, looking in Buffy's eyes with a penlight.

"Well, that's bleedin obvious. What do we do about it?" the bleached man, who Buffy noticed was speaking with an English accent, said in an annoyed tone.

"Well, unfortunately the only thing we can do is wait" the doctor said, turning off his pen light and putting it back in his lab coat pocket. "You can take her home tomorrow."

"So, wait, there's nothing you can do for her?" Buffy's mother asked.

"I'm sorry, but no. The only thing anyone can do for amnesia is to wait it out. You can help her by taking her home, showing her the life she has. Hopefully her memory will return in no time" the doctor said.

"Hopefully?" Spike asked.

"You mean you don't know how long this is gonna last?" Buffy's mom asked, both her and Spike panicked and a little annoyed the doctor couldn't do more.

"No, I'm sorry, but everyone is different. We have no way of knowing how long the amnesia will last."

During all this, Buffy just sat there, looking between Spike, her mother and the doctor as they spoke as if she wasn't in the room.

"I don't understand" Buffy spoke up meekly.

"Buffy, when you had your accident, you hit your head on the steering wheel. That hit to your head caused amnesia, that's why you don't remember anything; your mother, your fiancé, or even who you are" the doctor explained. "It'll be okay. We're hoping you'll remember little by little over time." Just then his pager beeped and he looked at it and then back at the people in the room. "I'm sorry, but I'm needed elsewhere. I'll be back to check on you in a little while." With that, he left the room, leaving Buffy alone with these people who were like strangers to her.

Once the doctor left, Spike and Buffy's mother just sat there, staring at her with awkward smiles, not knowing what to say. Buffy looked at them, also speechless. Finally, much to her relief, Spike spoke again.

"It's okay, baby, we'll do everything we can to help you remember" he told her, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. Buffy just gave him a small, awkward smile, not knowing what to say.

"So…" Buffy said after a few moments. "Y—you're my…"

"Fiancé" Spike finished her sentence with a smile. "Yeah, we've been dating for a year and a half, engaged for three months. We're actually supposed to get married in June."

"What month is it?" Buffy asked.

"10 days before your birthday, sweetheart, January 9th" Buffy's mother told her with a small smile.

"So, my birthday is January 19th?" Buffy clarified and got nods from Spike and her mother. "A—and, what's your name?" she turned her attention to her mother.

"My name is Joyce, honey, Joyce Summers. Your name is Elizabeth Anne Summers, but everyone calls you Buffy" Joyce told her.

"How…?" Buffy began, but hesitated.

"How what, luv?" Spike asked sweetly.

"How old am I?"

"You're 21, sweetheart, almost 22" Spike told her.

"This is… so strange. I—I don't… I don't remember anything. I…" she said, getting teary-eyed. "I don't understand."

"I know it must be hard, baby, but I promise it'll be okay" Spike told her, leaning over to kiss her forehead, but she flinched away. There was hurt in his eyes, but he quickly pushed it away, trying to remember that she had amnesia, and—to her—he was a stranger.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, luv. I would never hurt you" he told her sweetly. She tried giving him a smile, but it came out weak.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Joyce asked her daughter and Buffy looked at her.

"I'm tired" Buffy told her, laying her head down on the pillows.

"Okay, you sleep, luv. We'll give you some peace and quiet. We'll be right outside in the waiting room, okay?" Spike told her, kissing the back of her hand.

"Okay" Buffy said quietly, closing her eyes as Spike and Joyce left the room, shutting the door behind them.

Spike and Joyce went out into the waiting room, meeting up with Dawn who had just exited the elevator.

"Hey, I got your text, mom. Buffy's awake? Can I see her?" Dawn asked, moving to go into her room.

"No, wait, Nibblet" Spike said, grabbing her by the shoulders to stop her. "She's sleeping, and…" he looked to Joyce, not sure if he should tell her the rest.

"Sleeping? She just spent a week in a coma" Dawn said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Honey, there's more" Joyce said, taking her youngest daughter's hand and leading her over to a group of chairs and they sat down, Spike standing in front of them. "Your sister… has amnesia. She doesn't remember the accident or anything for that matter."

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked, looking from her mother to Spike.

"Well, you see, Bit, when your sister got into the accident, she hit her head, which caused a head injury. That head injury caused amnesia. Buffy doesn't remember any of us, being engaged to me, or even who she is." Spike explained. Dawn looked back and forth between the two adults a couple times, dumbfounded.

"How is that possible? How can she not remember who she is or any of us?" Dawn asked.

"It happens sometimes with head injuries" Joyce told her.

"But she's gonna get better right? In a few days she'll start to remember everything?" Joyce and Spike looked at each other and sighed. "Right?"

"We don't know how long it's gonna take, Nib" Spike admitted to the fifteen-year-old. "The doc said only time will tell."

"This is… bullshit!" the brunette teen exclaimed, receiving a shocked glare from her mother.

"Dawn Kathryn Summers! Watch your mouth, young lady" Joyce scolded and Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"I'm sorry, mom. This is just not acceptable. The doctors should be doing something to help get her memory back" Dawn told her mother.

"Sweetheart, it isn't the doctors' fault. There's nothing anyone can do about amnesia. The only thing we can do is remind her of the things she can't remember and hope her memory comes back soon" Joyce told her, stroking the back of her hair.

"I wanna see her, please" Dawn pleaded, looking at her mother and then Spike. Joyce and Spike looked at each other and then back at the teen girl.

"Okay, sweet bit, I'll take you in to see her. Just for a minute though, she needs her rest. We'll be able to take her home tomorrow" Spike said, standing up; Joyce and Dawn stood up as well.

"I'm gonna go call Willow and the rest of the gang and tell them what's going on" Joyce said. Spike nodded at her and put a hand on Dawn's back, ushering her toward Buffy's room. As they approached the hospital room, Dawn, now feeling nervous, gripped Spike's hand, squeezing a bit. Spike looked over at his soon-to-be little sister and smiled softly at her.

"It's okay" he assured her, opening Buffy's door and leading Dawn into the room. Buffy was still laid back on her pillows, eyes closed. When she heard the door open, she opened her eyes, looking over at Spike. "Hey, baby, your sis wanted to see you, is that okay?" Buffy just nodded, looking at them with the confusion she'd been wearing ever since she woke up.

"Hi, Buffy" Dawn said, trying to sound cheery.

"Hi, uh…" Buffy said, realizing she didn't know her sister's name and looked to Spike for help.

"Her name's Dawn, luv. She's your 15-year-old sister" Spike clarified and Buffy shook her head, indicating she understood.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Buffy. I was so worried about you" Dawn said, going over and hugging her big sister. Buffy, still not completely sure about everything, patted the teen on the back a couple times before Dawn let her go.

"Thanks" was all Buffy could think of and then turned her attention back to Spike. "When can I get out of this room? It's depressing." Spike chuckled at that, she was definitely the same Buffy, memory or no.

"Tomorrow, pet. The doctor said we can take you home tomorrow" he told her.

"Where's home?" Buffy asked as Spike sat in the chair next to her bed and Dawn sat in the other one under the TV that was on the wall.

"You live with me now, luv" Spike said. "You just moved in with me last month."

"And where's that?" Buffy asked, pulling the blanket up to her chest, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"We live in an apartment just a few minutes away from your mom and sister" Spike said.

"Okay" Buffy said, feeling a headache coming on. Everything was so strange. It was like there was a blindfold on her life and she could see what she should be able to see.

"Mom's calling the gang" Dawn chimed in again.

"The gang?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, Willow, Xander, Tara, Anya, Faith and Giles. They're your friends. Well, Giles is Spike's uncle, but he's also your friend" Dawn told her. "I think they're gonna come down to see you."

"No" Buffy said. "No more visitors, please. It—it's just too much."

"Okay, baby, it's okay" Spike told her. "We'll wait until we get you home for them to see you, okay?" Buffy again just nodded, laying her head back down. "Come on, Nibblet. Let's give your sister some time to rest." Spike and Dawn got up and Spike went over and took Buffy's hand, placing a small kiss on the back of it. "We'll come back later, baby."

"Okay" Buffy said quietly, turning away from them and closing her eyes again. Spike took Dawn's hand, leading her out of the room and shutting the door behind them. As Spike shut the door, they were met again by Joyce.

"How is she?" Joyce asked.

"Overwhelmed" Spike sighed. "She doesn't want any more visitors right now so I told her I'd make everyone else wait until we get her home."

"Okay. I called Willow and let her know that Buffy's awake, she's gonna tell everyone else" Joyce said as the three of them again sat down in the group of chairs in the corner of the small waiting room.

"I'll text everyone and tell them to wait until we get Buffy back home to come by" Dawn said.

"Thanks, sweetie" Joyce smiled at her daughter. Spike sighed once more, standing up again. "Where are you going?"

"Need a smoke" he said simply. "I'll be back in a few."

"Okay" Joyce said. He nodded at them and walked toward the elevator, feeling helpless, knowing he couldn't really do anything to help his girl. As he stepped in the elevator and pressed the correct button, he sighed again, watching the doors close. After the elevator stopped at the right floor—the main floor lobby—the doors opened and he stepped out, walking out of the hospital and to his car. He unlocked the door and sat inside, leaving the door open as he retrieved his pack of cigarettes from the center console. Lighting a smoke, he leaned the seat back a bit and sighed yet again, taking a long drag of the cigarette.

"God, what are we gonna do about you, luv?" he asked himself.

Meanwhile, Buffy laid in her hospital bed, her head spinning as she thought about everything that had happened since she woke up. She knew her name, and the names of her apparent fiancé, mother and sister, but she didn't know them, didn't know herself. The only thing she did know was that she was confused and afraid and would have to go home with a stranger in the morning when she was released from the hospital.


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning, after checking Buffy over one last time, the doctor gave her the okay to be discharged and Spike was allowed to take her home. As Joyce and Dawn gathered all of Buffy's things, Spike sat with Buffy and waited.

"Are you okay, luv?" he asked her and she nodded, not wanting to tell him how nervous she was about going home with him.

"Yeah, I just wanna get out of this stupid hospital" Buffy told him and he smiled at her, kissing the back of her hand.

"We'll be home soon, baby" he assured her.

"Okay, I think we have everything" Joyce said, zipping up Buffy's duffle bag and handing her a stuffed pig. Buffy looked at it and then at her mother with confusion.

"That's Mr. Gordo, Buffy" Dawn informed her with a smile. "Your stuffed pig that you've had since you were a kid."

"Oh" was all Buffy said, hugging the pig to her chest. For some reason, it comforted her, even though she didn't remember why.

"Ready to get outta here?" Spike asked, standing up and sticking out his hand to her. Buffy sighed and then took his hand.

"Yeah."

"Let's push off then" he smiled, leading her out of the room. The doctor had given him her discharge instructions along with some pain medication for the headaches she'd been getting since she woke up.

"Here, let me take that prescription and I'll go fill it while you take Buffy home" Joyce said and Spike handed her the script.

"Thanks, Joyce" Spike said. Still holding on to Buffy's hand, Spike led her into the elevator and once it came to a stop on the main floor, he led her outside and to his car. After opening the passenger side door for her and letting her in, he shut the door and went over to his side and got in as well.

"We'll meet you guys at your place" Dawn told him. He nodded before starting the engine and backing out of the parking space and leaving the hospital.

The short car ride to Spike and Buffy's apartment was met with awkward silence. Buffy didn't know what to say and Spike didn't either. He figured he'd let her have time to process everything and if she had questions, he'd answer them for her. Once he pulled into their apartment parking lot, he parked the car and they got out. Spike took her bag out of the back seat and then took her hand, leading her into the building and up the two flights of stairs to their floor.

"We don't have an elevator?" Buffy asked as they reached their floor and walked down the hallway to their apartment.

"It's been broken since I moved in two years ago" Spike chuckled, putting the key into the lock and unlocking the door. After opening it, he let her enter first and then followed her in, shutting the door behind him. He set her bag just inside the door and watched her walk around the apartment, looking at the picture frames with pictures of the two of them and their friends that hung on the walls and sat on the tv stand. "So, this is it" he said after a few moments. "Our bedroom is back there and the kitchen is through there" Spike pointed in the direction of the rooms as he explained. Buffy walked around, quietly observing everything. Finally, after what seemed like ages to Spike, she spoke.

"It's nice" Spike smiled sweetly at her, feeling her apprehension as she roamed the apartment.

"I know this must be weird for you, feeling like you don't know me and all, but, I love you, Buffy, more than anything and I'll do whatever I can to make this easier for you" Spike told her. She looked at him and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you." She sat down on the couch and he sat next to her, neither of them knowing what to say next. After a moment, she took off her shoes to make herself more comfortable and pulled her knees up, hugging them to her chest.

"You cold, pet?" Spike asked and Buffy nodded slightly. "Here." He stood up and draped a soft blanket over her shoulders. "I'll turn up the heat a bit" he told her and went over and did just that and then returned to his spot next to her on the couch. They sat there for a few moments in silence and then Buffy took a breath, as if to speak, but said nothing. "Somethin wrong, luv?"

"I just hate not knowing who the hell I am or anything about my life since I woke up in that hospital room" Buffy told him.

"I can't even image what it's like for you" Spike told her. "I can tell you that I'll do everything I can to help you remember. Anything you wanna know just ask and I'll be happy to tell you. Maybe, once everyone leaves later on, we can sit and have a talk, like a 20-questions kinda thing." Buffy looked at him and gave him a small smile.

"Okay" she agreed. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, baby" he said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly. She felt a shiver go down her spine. Even though she couldn't remember ever being with this man, she was still very attracted to him and, though she was still pretty uncomfortable being alone with him, a part of her felt safe and protected.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Buffy looked toward the door and then back at Spike.

"I'm sure that's the gang" Spike said, smiling at her and then getting up to answer it. He opened the door and there stood a group of people, around Buffy's age. They all began to rush into the apartment, but Spike blocked them, holding up his hands. "Whoa, wait, you guys" he told them and then looked back at Buffy before joining them out in the hall and shutting the door.

"What's wrong? We wanna see Buff" Xander told him, a little annoyed.

"I understand that, and you can" he told them. "But I just wanna warn you all, she's feeling very overwhelmed and I don't want you all bombarding her with a bunch of questions or rushing at her all at once. Just stay calm and give her space. If I sense that you're making her uncomfortable or you're overwhelming her with questions about what she does or doesn't remember, you'll be asked to leave."

"Jeez, don't be such an ass" Xander told him and Spike rolled his eyes at him.

"He's not" Willow came to Spike's defense. "He's just trying to protect the woman he loves."

"We all love her, Will. We're not gonna do anything that makes her upset" Xander said.

"That's all I ask" Spike said before opening the door and reentering the apartment, followed by the others. "Buffy, luv, your friends are here."

"Are you up for visitors?" Willow asked. Buffy smiled weakly at the redhead.

"Sure." The group of people that came to visit all came closer as Spike sat back down next to Buffy on the sofa and put a comforting hand on her back. Buffy's friends sat around the living room; Willow and Tara sitting on the loveseat, Xander sitting in the recliner with Anya on his lap, and Faith sitting next to Spike on the couch. Buffy took a deep breath. She felt uncomfortable already, but only because she didn't remember who any of them were and she knew they knew it.

"Baby, I thought I'd let everyone re-introduce themselves to you and tell you something SMALL about them" Spike said, emphasizing the word 'small' to the group of people seated around the living room.

"Okay" Buffy agreed.

"Where's Uncle Rupe?" Spike asked Willow and Tara.

"He's gonna visit a little later. He didn't wanna overwhelm Buffy too much" Willow told him and he nodded.

"Okay, I guess we'll start with you, red" Spike told Willow. Willow smiled awkwardly at Buffy, trying not to make her feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed.

"O—okay" Willow said. "Buffy, my name's Willow Rosenberg and I'm your best friend" she said, but Xander cleared his throat at her. " _One_ of your best friends" she corrected herself. "You me and Xander" she pointed to Xander. "Have been best friends since sophomore year of high school. We're very close." Buffy stayed quiet, just nodded at Willow and waited for someone else to speak. Willow looked to Tara who smiled at Buffy.

"H—hi, Buffy" Tara said nervously. "My name's Tara Maclay. I—I'm Willow's girlfriend. Even though we're not as close as you, Will and Xander, we're still good friends. I've only been a part of the gang for like two years." Buffy nodded at her, turning toward Xander and Anya, waiting for their introductions.

"Hey, Buff" Xander said cheerfully. "I'm Xander Harris and I'm your other best friend. You, me and Will are the best of friends and… uh… I guess that's it." Spike rolled his eyes at Xander, he was always such a whelp.

"My name's Anya Jenkins. I work at the Magic Box with Giles. Xander and I are engaged and enjoy many orgasms. I'm sure that once you get to know Spike again you'll enjoy many orgasms again as well" Anya told her. Buffy's face turned red a she glanced at Spike, who glared at Xander.

"An!" Xander scolded, covering his face with his hand in embarrassment.

"I thought you talked to her about that" Spike told Xander. "That's something I'm sure she would have been glad to forget, hearing about you and the whelp's sex life" he said to Anya who just shrugged. "Next" Spike said, turning his attention to Faith and desperately wanting to change the subject.

"Hey, B" Faith said. "I'm Faith Lehane and I joined the gang about three years ago. There isn't much else to say about me I guess."

"Are you okay, baby?" Spike asked. "Is this too overwhelming for you?"

"No, I'm glad you all want to help me remember, and I'm sorry I don't remember you" Buffy said, feeling guilty.

"Don't be sorry, Buff, it isn't your fault" Willow told her sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll get your memory back soon, just don't push it."

"Yeah" Buffy said, although she wasn't so sure. As Buffy leaned back on the couch cushion, there was another knock at the door and Joyce and Dawn entered a couple seconds later.

"Oh, I see everyone's here, good" Joyce smiled.

"How are you feeling, Buffy?" Dawn asked, squeezing in between her and Spike on the couch, making Spike and Faith scoot over.

"Uh… honestly, I don't know… A little confused and tired I guess" Buffy said, rubbing her forehead with her thumb and index finger.

"Headache?" Spike asked and Buffy nodded.

"Here, sweetie, I got your pain medication" Joyce told her daughter, bringing the prescription bag over to her. Buffy smiled at her mother, taking the bag.

"Well, I know you all just got here, but I think Buffy's had enough for right now" Spike said, looking to Buffy for agreement.

"I am pretty tired" Buffy agreed and Spike stood up to see everyone out.

"Well, I'm staying cuz mom and I just got here" Dawn said.

"Well, the rest of us will go and let you settle in, Buff" Xander said as the rest of the group stood up. Willow and Xander hugged Buffy and everyone else gave her sympathetic smiles before saying goodbye and leaving. Once they left, Spike breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on the sofa as Joyce took a seat on the loveseat.

"Do you want me to get you something to drink so you can take your medicine, luv?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, thanks" Buffy said and Spike nodded before disappearing into the kitchen. He returned a minute later with a glass of soda and handed it to her. "Thanks" Buffy said again and took the glass. She took the pill bottle out of the bag and opened it, taking one of them with a drink of soda.

"So…" Dawn said, trying to start a conversation.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask me or your sister, sweetie?" Joyce asked, but Buffy shook her head in the negative.

"I can't really think right now… My head hurts" Buffy said, rubbing her temples with her hands.

"That's fine, honey" Joyce told her. Spike turned on the tv, thinking a nice tv show would help Buffy relax a bit.

"Why don't we watch some tv then" Spike said, flipping through the shows they had recorded on the DVR.

"Okay" Buffy agreed.

"Dawnie, why don't you come sit by me so Buffy can stretch out a bit" Joyce said and Dawn nodded and changed spots, sitting on the loveseat by her mother.

"Do you want some pillows, baby?" Spike asked Buffy.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thank you" Buffy said. Spike smiled, kissing her hand before going into their bedroom and returning with two pillows.

"Here, lay here, luv" he told her sweetly, putting the pillows on the arm of the couch. Buffy laid her head on them, stretching her feet across the couch and Spike covered her with the blanket he had put on her earlier and took his seat back on the sofa next to her. Buffy began to move her legs so he could sit, but he stopped her. "No, you can lay your feet on me, baby." She smiled slightly and stretched her feet back out over his lap and he laid his arms over them. After picking a show from the list on the DVR, the room went quiet as they began to watch.

Only five minutes later, Spike looked over to Buffy and realized she had fallen asleep. He smiled at her, wanting so much to cuddle next to her, to hold her, but he knew she wasn't ready for that.

"Is she asleep?" Joyce whispered to Spike who nodded.

"Yeah, the pain medicine probably kicked in. The doctor said it'd make her drowsy" Spike told her.

"Well, we should go then" Joyce said.

"No, I don't wanna go" Dawn protested.

"Sweetie, we need to give Buffy time, and space" Joyce told her daughter. "We'll come back later or tomorrow."

"She needs to rest, Nib" Spike added and Dawn sighed as Joyce stood up.

"Fine" Dawn said, standing up as well.

"Tell Buffy we love her and we'll be back soon" Joyce said.

"Will do, Joyce. Thanks for everything" Spike said, standing up and hugging her.

"Of course" Joyce said.

"See ya, Nibblet" Spike said, hugging Dawn next.

"Bye, take care of her" Dawn said and Spike smiled, looking over to a sleeping Buffy again.

"Always, you know that" Spike said.

"I know" she told him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Call us if you need anything, okay?" Joyce said and Spike nodded. "Bye."

"Bye, girls" Spike said and they left. Spike sighed, going back over to the couch and kissing Buffy on the forehead before carefully sitting back down, putting Buffy's feet back over his lap. He felt exhausted as well; he had gotten hardly any sleep, staying at the hospital at Buffy's side 24/7 until she woke up. He laid his head back on the back of the couch and, within minutes, he too was fast asleep.

Spike woke suddenly, jerking his head up from where it laid on the back of the couch. For some reason, he felt uneasy and when he looked over and saw Buffy was no longer lying next to him on the couch, he stood up, wondering where she'd gone.

"Buffy, baby?" he said, wandering the apartment, looking for her. He entered their bedroom and found her sitting on their bed. She had a box sitting next to her and was going through it, along with a couple photo albums. "Hey, luv."

"Hi" she said, looking up at him. "I'm sorry, I just saw this box in the closet and—"

"Hey, don't be sorry, baby. You don't have to ask. You don't have to ask to look at anything in this apartment, it's your place too" he told her, joining her on the bed. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good actually" Buffy told him, still going through the box.

"Oh, I almost forgot" he said, leaving the bedroom and coming back moments later with a box. "They took this off of you when you had the accident. I didn't know if you wanted to wear it now, but..." he opened the small box and retrieved a diamond engagement ring.

"My engagement ring?" she asked, taking it from him; he nodded. "It's… gorgeous."

"You don't have to put it on, luv" he told her. "I just didn't want you thinking I asked you to marry me and didn't give you a ring." She looked at him and they smiled at each other, chuckling a bit.

"I didn't even think about that" she told him, looking at the ring and then back at him. "Wil you…"

"Will I what, luv?" he asked her inquisitively.

"Put it on me?" she asked sheepishly. He smiled at her, wanting so badly to kiss her in that moment.

"I'd love to" he told her, taking the ring back from her and gently placing it on her left ring finger. "Look, I just want you to know how much I love you. You don't have to say it back, I know you must not feel it right now because you don't know me in the state you're in, but… Buffy, I love you so much, more than anything in life. More than my life. You… you mean everything to me, Goldilocks" She smiled at him, feeling both a little awkward and a little bad for not really being able to say it back to him. Right now, saying it back would be a lie. It wasn't that she didn't know her old self loved him, she had to love him to say yes to his marriage proposal, but he was right; right now she didn't feel it—she barely knew him. Her heart still melted at his words and her eyes filled with tears.

"I…" she was at a loss for words.

"I know baby" he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Don't fret, it's okay."

"You're really sweet" she smiled at him, putting the stuff she had taken out of the box back in it and putting it back in the closet. "So, you said we could talk. That you would answer questions about my life?"

"Of course" he said. "Wanna go back into the living room?"

"Sure" she said and he stood up, reaching out his hand for her and she took it and he led her back into the living room. They sat together on the couch and she sat with her back against her pillows.

"So, what would you like to know, pet?" he asked her.

"Well, I know how old I am now, but how old are you?" she asked.

"I'll be 25 in April" he told her.

"How'd we meet?" she asked after thinking for a moment. He smiled at that.

"My uncle's store" he told her. "The Magic Box."

"A magic store?" she wondered and he nodded. "What was I doing there? I'm not into witchcraft am I?"

"No, you were looking for a job and I was helping out uncle Rupe. I saw you and—as cheesy as it sounds—I knew you'd be mine" he told her with a smile. She smiled back at him, her cheeks turning a little red. "You were—and still are—just so beautiful. We started talking and you gave me your phone number and we texted for a while before I got the nerve to ask you out, and… we've been inseparable ever since."

"And you said we've been dating for how long?" Buffy asked.

"Almost a year and a half, our dating anniversary is June 21st. I asked you to marry me in October, and thankfully you said yes" Spike told her.

"And when are we getting married?" Buffy asked.

"Our wedding date is supposed to be June 21st of this year. You wanted our wedding anniversary to be the same as our dating anniversary so you didn't feel like we had to celebrate two anniversaries a year" Spike told her.

"Supposed to be?" she asked, confused.

"Well, I just mean… if you don't have your memory back by then… I just wasn't sure if you'd still want to marry me" Spike told her.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to make me fall in love with you all over again" Buffy smiled at him and he smiled back at her.

"Workin on it, luv" he told her with a smirk. "So, what else?"

"Um… I don't have any other sisters or brothers do I?" Buffy asked and Spike shook his head.

"Nope, only the nibblet" Spike told her. "She really loves you."

"Do we get along?"

"Mostly. I mean, you guys argue like all sisters do I imagine, but… she really looks up to you. You mostly argue when you're being too overprotective of her, like I am" Spike told her.

"You really care for her, don't you?" Buffy asked him.

"Yes, I really do" Spike said. "She's… the little sis I never had I suppose."

"That's sweet" Buffy told him and he shrugged.

"What can I say? I have a soft spot for all the Summers women."

"Are you saying you have a crush on my mom?" Buffy joked.

"Oh, yeah" he joked back. "Like you have the hotts for my uncle." They both shuddered at the thought and laughed a bit.

"Yeah, okay, let's move on from that mental image" she chuckled. All the sudden, she became quiet, like she was in deep thought. "I hope I'm not like this forever" she finally said.

"It'll be okay, baby" he told her, but she scoffed, looking at him.

"You don't know that, Spike" she told him. "Neither of us know how long my memory's gonna be gone."

"No, I guess not" he admitted. "But it doesn't change how I feel about you. No matter how long it takes to get your memory back, I'll be right here—forever."

"You know" she told him with a small smile. "Even with my memory loss, somehow I know that."


	3. Chapter Three

Buffy woke up in bed the next morning. As her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that peaked through the blinds, she noticed Spike lying next to her, his arm around her waist protectively. She had to admit, she didn't mind. Even though she didn't remember ever being in a relationship with him, she already felt close to him, safe with him. She ran her hand over his fingers lightly, which made him stir. He slowly opened his eyes, smiling at the sight of her.

"Good morning" she said quietly.

"Always is waking up next to you, luv" he told her and she smiled at him. He wanted to kiss her, like he was used to doing every morning, but he wouldn't dare, not yet. She was beginning to be comfortable around him and he didn't want to do anything that would reverse that. "Did you sleep well, baby?" he asked her.

"You know, I really did" she told him. "Like everything else, I'd forgotten how comfy this bed is." He smiled at her, chuckling a bit.

"We spend a lot of time in this bed, pet" he said devilishly, smirking at her. She smiled at him, but flushed furiously, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Is that a fact?" she asked and he nodded. "I'm sorry, I'm just not… ready for that yet."

"No worries, luv. All in good time… when and if you get your memory back I'll be making passionate love to you." She blushed again and he decided to give her a break and change the subject. "Hungry?"

"Starving" she said and then thought about it. "Wait, for food right?" He chuckled.

"Yes, luv, for food" he told her.

"Then yes, my tummy's growling" she told him as they sat up.

"Breakfast then?" he asked, getting out of bed. She got up also, following him into the living room.

"You cook?" she asked, of course not knowing the answer.

"Bloody right I do. What are you in the mood for?" he asked her as she sat down on the couch and pulled the blanket that laid over the back cushion over her.

"Um…" she thought. "Pancakes?"

"You got it" Spike said, disappearing into the kitchen. Buffy sighed, feeling pretty good this morning. She knew she didn't know Spike very well—or rather didn't remember knowing him—but he was easy to be around. She could sense how much he loved her; never mind him telling her all the time. She laid her head back on the couch, wondering how long it would take to get her memory back. She wanted it back, not just for her sake, but for Spike's as well. She felt terrible that she couldn't return his affections, she just didn't feel comfortable enough for that yet. She did feel comfortable with him now though; safe, protected and most of all, loved. She knew, even without her memory, that he'd never hurt her, and would kill anyone else who tried. She still felt pretty uncomfortable around her friends, her mother and sister. She felt bad about that fact, but she couldn't help it. Maybe it was because she had spent most of her amnesia-ridden time with Spike, so she knew him better. Whatever it was, she knew that, given the choice, she'd rather be with Spike than anyone else. Perhaps that's how it was in her regular life as well. It seemed that they were very much in love. She knew, at least, that he loved her, but she had to love him very much as well. She could sense it, like a dream that was on the edge of your mind that you were trying to remember. She glanced down at the ring on her finger. It really was beautiful, with a pink stone in the middle and two smaller diamonds on each side. The band itself was white gold and fit her finger perfectly. She ran her thumb over it tenderly, whishing she remembered when Spike had given it to her, when he had proposed.

"All in good time" she repeated Spike's earlier words, hoping it was true. That sooner rather than later, she'd get her memory back and everything would go back to normal.

"What's that, luv?" she heard Spike say and snapped her head up, looking at him.

"Oh, n—nothing" she said. "Breakfast ready?"

"Sure is, this way, m'lady" he said, reaching his hand out to her. She smiled at how adorable he was being, taking his hand and letting him pull her up from her seat on the couch. He led her into the kitchen where there were two plates on the table; a plate of pancakes in the middle, along with bacon and scrambled eggs.

"This looks amazing" Buffy said as Spike pulled a chair out for her, scooting her up to the table after she sat. He joined her, sitting across from her at the table and smiled.

"Hope it tastes as good as it looks. How many pancakes, luv?"

"Two please. I wanna have room for everything" she said and he used a fork to put two pancakes on her plate and passed her the syrup. He spooned some eggs on to her plate and put a few pieces of bacon on there also.

"There you go, baby. Enjoy" he told her as he served himself.

"Thank you" she smiled, pouring syrup over everything on her plate without even thinking about it. Seeing this, Spike smiled. "What?"

"You always do that" he said. "I guess some things are just second nature."

"Guess so" she chuckled. "Didn't even think about it."

"Well, I'm glad to see some things never change" he told her as she took a bite of her food.

"Holy crap!" she said with a full mouth.

"Good?" he asked her, with a raise of an eyebrow and she nodded furiously.

"Amazing" she said after swallowing and quickly took another bite. She finished off her food with impressive speed and he watched her amusingly, happy she was enjoying herself. "My god, I didn't realize _how_ hungry I was" she said, taking the last bite into her mouth.

"Well, I'm glad you're eating, luv. You haven't eaten much since you got home" Spike said. He was still far from finished. "Seconds?"

"Maybe just a little more" she smiled, taking two more pancakes, a little spoonful of eggs and a few more pieces of bacon, covering everything in syrup like before and digging right in. He smiled at her, she was just so cute.

After they had finished breakfast, Spike cleared their plates and joined Buffy in the living room where she was sprawled out on the couch, in a carb-overload sate. He joined her on the couch, lifting her legs so he could sit and then letting them drape over his lap.

"Satisfied, luv?" he asked her as he turned on the tv.

"Muchly" she said.

"Glad to hear it" he told her, choosing something off the DVR—a show she would have picked normally—and pressed play.

"What are we watching?" she asked him, turning her attention toward the tv.

"Degrassi. It's one of your favorite shows. Er, I mean, normally" he told her.

"Okay" she said incredulously as the show started.

They fell silent for several minutes as they both began to watch. He wasn't paying much attention though, as he wasn't too much of a fan of the show like she was. He mostly watched her through his peripheral vision, whishing he could hold her, but still not daring to ask. She was warming up to him so nicely and he didn't want to ruin that. He decided to wait for a sign from her, a sign that she was either ready for him to ask, or that she wanted him, or needed him to hold her.

"Oh, you have a doctor appointment today, luv" he told her after his phone beeped and he looked at it, realizing it was a calendar reminder for an appointment. "2:30pm" he added.

"Okay" she said, her eyes still on the tv. Even though she obviously didn't remember liking the tv show, she was enjoying it a lot. After a few moments, she looked at him. "What's it for?"

"Just a checkup" he told her. "They wanna make sure everything going okay in there" he said, touching her temple tenderly. Buffy smiled and looked at the cable box on the tv stand, it read 12:44pm.

"I should go take a shower then" she said, getting up from the couch. "Don't have much time to get ready."

"Okay, I'll be out here when you're finished" he told her and she nodded, going into the bathroom.

After taking close to a 45-minute, hot shower, she stepped out of the bathtub and wrapped herself in a towel, using another one to wrap up her long, blonde hair. She opened the door a bit, looking to see that Spike was still on the couch and then scurried into their bedroom to get dressed, not wanting him to see her in just in a towel. She shut the bedroom door, closed the blinds and then went to her closet to find an outfit to wear. She flipped amusingly through the copious amounts of clothes in the large, walk-in closet. On one side was her clothes and on the other side Spike's. She found it funny that she had so many more clothes than he did. Her side of the closet was jam packed, almost to the brim with hangers and he still had plenty of room on his side. After flipping through the hangers and sifting through the pants and skirts that set folded on the shelves that were in the closet, she finally settled on a pair of brown, corduroy pants and a hot pink, sweater that Buffy thought must've been made of cashmere because of how soft it was. The sweater was very cute; the collar laid off her shoulders a bit and it was fitted nicely against her flat stomach. She decided to wear a brown tank top under the sweater so her shoulders weren't so bare. After getting dressed, she put on a pair of soft pink socks and took her brown ankle boots out of the closet. She thought they were very cute, having a bit of a heel and zipping up the sides. _I have good taste_ , she thought as she carried the boots out of the bedroom and went into the living room to rejoin Spike on the sofa.

"Have a nice shower, pet?" he asked as she dropped her boots by the side of the couch before sitting down.

"Yes, it felt amazing" Buffy told him. "I still gotta blow-dry my hair."

"Better get on it, baby" he said, pointing to the time on the cable box. "We gotta leave in about 45 minutes."

"Kay" she said, standing up. "I'll be back out in a few." She went back into the bathroom and plugged in her hair dryer and blow-dried her hair then brushed it smooth. Fifteen minutes later, she was done and again joined Spike in the living room. "How do I look?" she asked him and he smiled at her.

"Always gorgeous" he told her and she smiled back.

"Well, you're biased" she said.

"That I am, luv" he admitted with a smirk. He picked his pack of cigarettes off of the coffee table and took one out, lighting it and taking a puff.

"How do I feel about the smoking thing?" she asked with the raise of an eyebrow and he chuckled at her, taking another puff.

"It annoys you, but you tolerate it" he told her.

"I see" she said. He took a couple more puffs and then snuffed it out in the ashtray.

"There, better, luv?" he asked and she nodded.

"Much."

"Good" he smirked.

"Can we leave a little early and stop for some coffee?" she asked.

"Of course, baby" he said, standing up. "Lemme go get my wallet and keys and we'll push off."

"Okay" she smiled and he disappeared into the bedroom for a few moments, then returned. Buffy sat on the couch to put her boots on while Spike slipped his feet into his combat boots, leaning down to tie them quickly and then shrugged on his leather duster. Buffy stood back up and came over to where her own coat hung on the coatrack by the door. Spike picked it up and helped her put it on and she gave him an appreciating smile.

"Ready to head out, luv?" he asked.

"Yep" she said with a nod and, after double-checking to make sure he had everything with a pat of the pockets of his duster, he opened the door and let her out before him, following after and shutting and locking the door. He offered her his arm and she took it, letting him escort her down the two flights of stairs and out into the chilly winter weather. "Holy crap, it's cold!"

"Yeah, it's usually not this cold in Southern California, but the temp says it's only 38° out right now" Spike said. They quickly approached his car and hopped in after he unlocked the doors. After they were inside and the doors were shut, he started the engine and pulled out of the space and out of the parking lot onto the main road. "I'll turn on the heat once it warms up a bit."

"Good, I'm freezing!" Buffy said, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.

"Some coffee will warm you up too" Spike said.

Spike and Buffy stopped at a gas station and got their coffee and then proceeded to Buffy's doctor's office. They drove mostly silent for the rest of the ride, neither of them not really having anything to say. Finally, Spike pulled into a parking lot and parked in a space close to the building and they got out. As they headed inside, Buffy subconsciously gripped Spike's hand, feeling nervous all of the sudden. Spike smiled when he felt Buffy do this and squeezed her hand lovingly, comforting her.

"It's okay, baby" he assured her. "Doctor Kramer is a nice man. He's been your doctor for years."

"Okay" she said as they reached the front desk. The receptionist slid the glass barrier open and smiled at them.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, I'm William Pratt. My fiancé, Elizabeth Summers, is here for her appointment with Dr. Kramer" Spike told her and she typed something into her computer.

"Okay, you're a little early so just sign in here and have a seat and a nurse will call you back when the doctor is ready for you" the receptionist said and Spike nodded, taking Buffy's coffee cup from her so she could sign her name. After Buffy signed in, Spike handed her back her coffee and they went to sit down and wait for her to get called back.

"You'll come back with me, right?" Buffy asked Spike who smiled warmly at her.

"Of course, baby, if you want me to" Spike told her, taking her hand and rubbing the back of it lightly with his thumb.

"I do" Buffy confirmed and Spike nodded agreeably. "I'm just…nervous I guess."

"It's okay, luv. I'll be right next to you" Spike assured her. To his surprise, she leaned over, laying her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head before laying his head on hers, still making small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

About twenty minutes later, a nurse came out and called Buffy back to an examination room. Spike followed Buffy back to the room and sat in a chair while Buffy was instructed to sit on the examination table.

"I'm just gonna ask you a few questions before the Dr. comes to see you, okay?" the nurse said.

"Sure" Buffy told her and the nurse picked up a clipboard and a pen.

"Okay, full name?"

"Elizabeth Anne Summers."

"Birthday?"

"January 19th."

"Age?"

"I'm 21, about to be 22."

"Okay, you were in a car accident nine days ago, correct? You're here for a follow-up after being released from the hospital?"

"Yes."

"Any pain in your head or eyes? Any pain in your shoulders?"

"I've been having headaches. The Dr. at the hospital gave me some pain medication to deal with them."

"What did he give you?" the nurse asked as she wrote down all of Buffy's answers.

"Umm…" Buffy said, realizing she didn't know what she'd been taking. She looked to Spike for help and he spoke up.

"Uh, he gave her Percocet" Spike said, standing up and coming to Buffy's side.

"Do you know the dosage?" the nurse asked him.

"Yeah, 10mg. She's to take one every four-six hours as needed" Spike told her and the nurse nodded, writing that down as well.

"Okay, well that's all I have. I'm gonna check your vitals really quick" the nurse said as she put down her pen and clipboard and picked up a blood pressure cuff. After putting it around Buffy's arm, she pushed a button and it began to tighten. It beeped a couple times and then loosened. "122/82, very good." The nurse checked her temperature—which was normal—and then looked in her eyes with a penlight.

"Everything normal?" Buffy asked lightheartedly and the nurse smiled at her.

"Yes, you seem very healthy" she told her.

"Except for the amnesia" Buffy said.

"Yeah, I saw that written on your chart. Have you remembered anything yet?" the nurse asked and Buffy shook her head.

"Not a thing, it's very irritating."

"I can imagine" the nurse said sympathetically. "Well, the doctor should be in shortly, okay?"

"Thank you" Buffy said and the nurse smiled and then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Buffy sighed heavily, rubbing her head.

"Are you okay?" Spike asked, pushing the hair out of her face.

"Headache" Buffy told him and he nodded.

"I'm sorry, baby." Buffy looked at him with surprise.

"For what? You've been great" Buffy asked.

"I'm just sorry you're going through this; the headaches, the amnesia. I wish I could take it all for you" he told her and she smiled weakly at him.

"I wouldn't wish this one anyone, especially you" she told him sweetly. He smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her on her forehead just as they heard a knock on the door.

"Come in" Buffy said and a doctor entered, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, hello, Buffy" Dr. Kramer said cheerfully. "It's been a while since I've seen you. How are you doing, besides the amnesia?"

"I've been getting pretty bad headaches" Buffy told him. "I actually have one now." Spike started rubbing the back of her neck, hoping it would relieve her pain a little.

"Well, with the head injury you had, it's no wonder why you're getting residual headaches" the doctor said, looking in her eyes with a penlight. "You're pupils are equal and reactive, so that's good. All your vitals were normal, which means—besides the headaches and amnesia—you don't have any lasting effects from the accident. How much pain medication do you have left at home?"

"I think only about three" Buffy said as Spike continued rubbing the back of her neck. The smile she gave him told him that it was helping, so he kept it going.

"Okay, I'll write you another script for a little more. The headaches should subside in a few days. If they don't, I want you to make another appointment, okay?"

"Okay, thank you" Buffy said as he handed her the prescription.

"You're very welcome. And, even though you don't remember me right now, it's nice to see you again" the doctor smiled at her as she opened the door. Buffy smiled back at him. "I'll see you later, Buffy. I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you" Buffy said again and he shut the door. Buffy sighed with relief, glad the appoint was over and she and Spike could go home.

"Ready to go, baby?" Spike asked as she hopped off the table.

"Definitely, my head's killing me" she told him, putting on her coat and they left.

On the way home, Spike pulled through a Taco Bell to get some lunch because both of them were hungry. After ordering their food, he drove them home and parked the car.

"I'm starving" Buffy said as they entered their apartment. Buffy kicked off her boots and joined Spike on the couch as he took their food out of the bag and set it on the coffee table.

"Me too" Spike agreed. After taking everything out of the bag, he stood back up. "Want something to drink?"

"Soda, please" she told him and he nodded before going into the kitchen and coming back a couple moments later with two cans of soda; a diet coke for her and a Mt. Dew for himself.

"Here ya go, baby."

"Thanks" she said, sitting it down on the coffee table and picking up a taco. Spike picked up a burrito and they began to eat. He picked up the remote and put on a tv show for them to watch and they both sat back to relax and eat.


End file.
